LTA chiefs rule out upgrading DFS event

Plans to restructure the British tennis season do not extend to upgrading the DFS Classic into a more prestigious tournament according to Carl Maes, head of women's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association.

Plans to restructure the British tennis season do not extend to upgrading the DFS Classic into a more prestigious tournament according to Carl Maes, head of women's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association.

The event, which traditionally takes place two weeks before Wimbledon, has grown in prominence in recent years with the emergence and retention of superstar Maria Sharapova.

The Russian burst into the public's consciousness in 2003 when she reached the semi-final at Edgbaston Priory and then went on to qualify for the fourth round at the All England Club.

Then, the following year, as a 17-year-old, she won in Birmingham and claimed her first grand slam title when she beat Serena Williams a few weeks later.

Since then she has remained faithful to the competition that launched her career and she has been followed by a higher-quality calibre of player to the point where this summer's final against Jelena Jankovic included two of the world's top three.

That led some to suggest the tournament should push to become a Tier II event to rival the traditional Wimbledon warm-up at Eastbourne, although to do that DFS Classic organisers would have to increase the prize-money on offer and build a permanent centre court.

But Maes, who assumed control of the much-maligned women's game last December, claims he has no interest in pushing Edgbaston Priory to attain higher status.

"Making Birmingham a Tier II doesn't actually make that much difference," he said. "The entitlement to getting players here would be different because they would have had more leverage with the WTA to say 'We should at least have x amount of players in the top ten'.

"The field that they have had in the last couple of years has been a lot stronger than a Tier II event. Why would they put up more money when the field we are getting is that of a Tier II or even Tier I event sometimes."

Indeed, he believes the only benefit would be in terms of publicity, saying: "To raise profile in the media it looks better as a Tier II but for British girls it won't change the fact they are going to have matches that at this moment in time are a little bit too high. On that basis I don't feel too strongly about it."

What he does feel strongly about, however, is the current fixture list which, he contends, rewards mediocrity.

As things stand Maes is looking to get rid of several low-level tournaments in order to offer British players more difficult opponents.

The only way to do that is increase the prize-money on offer from $10,000 to $50,000 and even some $75,000. Although it will be harder for most domestic players to be successful, when they are the rewards will be greater.

"It is a crucial change to make," Maes said. "We are going to have less $10,000s at the bottom end because we have too many players at that end with a ranking that is internationally rather insignificant.

"I don't mind trimming down the numbers of players we have that are internationally-ranked to really identify which players need the wild-cards into the slightly higher tournaments.

"At this moment we struggle. We have got a couple of $25,000s which are fine as they are but we have too many $10,000s where players pick up the odd point.

"Now, through a feed-up system, we are going to make it harder for the girls to compete for those wildcards. If you do well in a $10,000 you will get your wildcard for a $25,000 and then into a $50,000 and so on.

"We want to make them be hungry for those wildcards so that they are not just handed out."

To this end Maes has cut the number of tournaments for next year from 22 to 15 with seven of the lowest-ranked events having gone altogether although there will still be a $10,000 competition at Tipton in January.

New to the programme is a $75,000 event and two with funds of $50,000 as the prize-money on offer for women is brought into line with men.